Narrative:

On long student x-country, door popped open after takeoff. As instructed, I gained pattern altitude, landed, and then secured the door. On takeoff, just after rotating and at about 10 ft AGL, the door popped open again. I aborted the takeoff as I'd been told to by pulling the power back and flaring until the stall warning horn went off. When I'd landed on the main gear, I let the nose down and it seemed 'mushy,' continuing to fall forward. I pulled back on the stick, and the plane veered to the left and skidded on gravel and weeds, hitting a ridge of dirt which damaged the nose gear and propellers. As a student pilot, I had 1 demonstrated aborted takeoff and 1 where I followed my instructor's motions on the controls. Emergency procedure were discussed some, but not in great detail, and it was never mentioned how to turn fuel to 'off.' density altitude was mentioned but not discussed. Indeed, my instructor never checked my flight plan for density altitude calculations (I did have them) nor did we discuss how extreme heat can play a role in pilot safety. The following items should be covered, taught, and practiced (where possible) as part of a training curriculum: door open: what it sounds like, feels like, how the plane handles, what to do if the door should open in flight. Aborted takeoff: practice with instructor, know how the sudden loss of power will affect the plane and the way it handles how to brake effectively, power to idle or mixture off. Emergency evacuate/evacuation of aircraft: what to turn off, how to turn fuel off, what to take (if possible), open door before landing. Heat and density altitude issues: longer roll on takeoff and landing, heat inside the airplane, how to plan flts around these issues. I believe my instructors are good teachers of the prescribed curriculum, but they do not add to and expand on it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF A LONG X-COUNTRY TRAINING FLT LOST CTL OF THE ACFT ON ABORTED TKOF RESULTING IN THE ACFT GOING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND DAMAGING THE NOSE GEAR AND PROP.

Narrative: ON LONG STUDENT X-COUNTRY, DOOR POPPED OPEN AFTER TKOF. AS INSTRUCTED, I GAINED PATTERN ALT, LANDED, AND THEN SECURED THE DOOR. ON TKOF, JUST AFTER ROTATING AND AT ABOUT 10 FT AGL, THE DOOR POPPED OPEN AGAIN. I ABORTED THE TKOF AS I'D BEEN TOLD TO BY PULLING THE PWR BACK AND FLARING UNTIL THE STALL WARNING HORN WENT OFF. WHEN I'D LANDED ON THE MAIN GEAR, I LET THE NOSE DOWN AND IT SEEMED 'MUSHY,' CONTINUING TO FALL FORWARD. I PULLED BACK ON THE STICK, AND THE PLANE VEERED TO THE L AND SKIDDED ON GRAVEL AND WEEDS, HITTING A RIDGE OF DIRT WHICH DAMAGED THE NOSE GEAR AND PROPS. AS A STUDENT PLT, I HAD 1 DEMONSTRATED ABORTED TKOF AND 1 WHERE I FOLLOWED MY INSTRUCTOR'S MOTIONS ON THE CTLS. EMER PROC WERE DISCUSSED SOME, BUT NOT IN GREAT DETAIL, AND IT WAS NEVER MENTIONED HOW TO TURN FUEL TO 'OFF.' DENSITY ALT WAS MENTIONED BUT NOT DISCUSSED. INDEED, MY INSTRUCTOR NEVER CHKED MY FLT PLAN FOR DENSITY ALT CALCULATIONS (I DID HAVE THEM) NOR DID WE DISCUSS HOW EXTREME HEAT CAN PLAY A ROLE IN PLT SAFETY. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS SHOULD BE COVERED, TAUGHT, AND PRACTICED (WHERE POSSIBLE) AS PART OF A TRAINING CURRICULUM: DOOR OPEN: WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, FEELS LIKE, HOW THE PLANE HANDLES, WHAT TO DO IF THE DOOR SHOULD OPEN IN FLT. ABORTED TKOF: PRACTICE WITH INSTRUCTOR, KNOW HOW THE SUDDEN LOSS OF PWR WILL AFFECT THE PLANE AND THE WAY IT HANDLES HOW TO BRAKE EFFECTIVELY, PWR TO IDLE OR MIXTURE OFF. EMER EVAC OF ACFT: WHAT TO TURN OFF, HOW TO TURN FUEL OFF, WHAT TO TAKE (IF POSSIBLE), OPEN DOOR BEFORE LNDG. HEAT AND DENSITY ALT ISSUES: LONGER ROLL ON TKOF AND LNDG, HEAT INSIDE THE AIRPLANE, HOW TO PLAN FLTS AROUND THESE ISSUES. I BELIEVE MY INSTRUCTORS ARE GOOD TEACHERS OF THE PRESCRIBED CURRICULUM, BUT THEY DO NOT ADD TO AND EXPAND ON IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.